Terminal construction.



A. L. DRUM.

TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED 0018,1913.

1,084,849. Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

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TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED 001a, 1913.

1,084,849, Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

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OFFICE.

ALPHONSUS Ii. DRUM, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPI-IoNsUs L. DRUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Terminal Constructions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway systems and more particularly to terminal construction therefor.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a practical construction and arrangement of tracks and stations which may be readily made to cooperate with systems now in general use.

Another objectis to increase the efficiency of such systems and more expeditiously handle traffic therethrough.

Another object is to provide an improved station construction particularly adapted for use in systems of this character.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view in elevation of a terminal station; Fig. 2is a diagrammatic plan View of the terminal and adjacent tracks and stations; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevational View of a portion of the system.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In order that certain features of the present invention may be more clearly understood, it may be remarked that many cities have a district commonly known as the down-town district toward which traffic is directed from uptown or the surrounding residential sections in the morning and from which it departs in the evening. As surface roads tend to congest traflic in this district it is desirable to have this trallic carried on elevated roads or underground by means of subways, as much as possible,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 8, 1913.

Patented J an. 20, 1914.

Serial No. 793,997.

but inasmuch as subways involve a much greater expense in their construction and installation than surface tracks, they are brought to the surface or even elevated where high speed is essential and where the lack of congested traflic will permit. It is also to be noted that incoming trains take up a few passengers at each station on their way in town in the morning and discharge these passengers in large numbers at one or two important terminal stations in the heart of the down-town district. A short stop at each of the uptown stations to allow the few passengers there to enter the train will. not materially affect the headway, but when stopping the train at a terminal station to permit a large number of passengers to get off has a very material. effect on the headway of the trains, resulting in congestion and slow running of the following trains. A dominant aim of the present invention is to provide practical and economical means to overcome this objection.

Referring now more particularly to Fi 2 of the drawing, 1 and 2 denote a set of tracks running in opposite directions, their dotted portions representing the elevated portion of the track, while the full lines denote the subway portion or where the track is at a different level with respect to the surface of the ground. These tracks pass a series of stations 3, only two of which are shown, at each side of the subway, provided with an uptown and downtown platform. The other pair of tracks 1 and 5 may be in the form of a U or loop and lead to different parts of the city. These sets of tracks are adapted to enter a common terminal portion having one or more stations (3, one being shown in detail in Fig. 1, in which platforms 7, S and 9 are positioned between adjacent pairs of tracks, each platform being of the double-deck type as shown. The decks communicate with each other and with a common transverse platform 10 by means of stairs or escalators 11. The common transverse platform 10 is similarly connected by means of stairs or escalators 12 with the street level.

The operation of this construction is substantially as follows: When the traflic is directed downtown, as in the morning, the trains run past the single-deck platforms of each station 3 and receive a few passengers at each one. These passengers then enter the lower deck of the car 13 and if crowded go to the upper deck by means of the stairs lt suitably located, as, for example, at each end of the car. On arriving at the terminal station both the upper and lower deck doors of the car are opened to permit the passen gers to leave from both decks to decks or platforms of the station. Likewise in the evening when trafiic is in the opposite direction, the passengers may enter the trains from both decks of the station and those passengers on the upper deck when the train reaches the outlying stations on the elevated structure must descend the stairway in the car itself to the lower deck level of the car and thence to the elevated station platform. During the non-rush hours single-deck cars 15 could be operated in which case the upper deck of the terminal subway station would be closed.

From the above it will be noted that the carrying capacity of tracks by the use of double-deck cars entering double-deck stations is greatly increased, for if it were attempted to load the double-deck cars at a single-deck terminal station and force the passengers to climb the stairs inside of the car, the station stop would be lengthened to such a degree that the headway of the double-deck train would be materially lengthened and consequently the capacity of the tracks measured in terms of its capacity per hour would be reduced to an amount substantially equal to the capacity of the same tracks with single-deck cars.

In Fig. 3 there is shown diagrammatically, in elevation, a portion of a combined elevated and subway system with a train of two cars, one of which is a single-deck motor car 15, while the other is a doubledeck trailer 13. It will, of course, be understood that this proportion may be increased to an eight or ten car train having a substantially equal number of motor cars and double-deck trailer cars. By this arrangement in an eight car train the passenger capacity of the train would be increased fifty per cent. over an eight car train of single-deck cars with an investment, in the four motor and four double-deck trailer cars, of less money than in a train consisting of eight single-deck motor cars. This fifty per cent. increase in the passenger carrying capacity with a less investment is commercially practicable as the double-deck trailer cars would only be used for one round trip in the morning during rush hours and again in the evening. For a short period of time the four motor cars can stand an overload on their motors which they could not stand during continuous operation under such circumstances. From this it will be seen that the present invention materially increases the efficiency of this system by enlarging its capacity Without making material additions to its equipment, and is adapted to accomplish,

reaching the downtown section may enter a terminal station on the same level provided with double-deck receiving platforms but the form shown possesses certain advantages.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a system of the character described, in combination, a track, double-deck cars adapted to travel thereon, means connecting the decks of the cars with each other, a series of single platforms located along a portion of' said track, and a station having double-deck platforms adapted to coact with the double decks of the cars.

2. In a system of the character described, in combination, a pair of tracks adapted to accommodate traffic in opposite directions, cars having double decks with communications therebetween adapted to travel on said tracks, a plurality of single-deck stations located along a portion of said tracks, and a station having double-deck platforms adapted to coact with the double decks of the cars.

3. In a system of the character described, in. combination, a pair of tracks adapted to accommodate traiiic in opposite directions, double-deck cars adapted to travel on said tracks, communicating means between the decks, stations having single platforms coacting with the lower deck of each car, and other stations having double-deck platforms coacting with the double decks of the cars.

4. In a system of the character described, in combination, two sets of tracks adapted to accommodate traffic in different directions, double-deck cars adapted to travel on said tracks, communicating means between the decks, single-deck platforms for each of said sets of tracks, and a common station for both sets of tracks having double deck platforms adapted to coact with the double decks of the cars.

5. In a system of the character described, in combination, two sets of tracks, each adapted to accommodate trafiic in different directions, double-deck cars adapted to iii travel on said tracks, communicating means between the decks, single-deck platforms for each of said sets of tracks, and a common sta' tion for both sets of tracks having doubledeck platforms adapted to coact with the double decks of the cars, said terminal station comprising a plurality of platforms one located between each adjacent pair of tracks.

6. In a system of the character described, in combination, a pair oftracks adapted to accommodate traffic in opposite directions, portions of said tracks being located at different levels with respect to the ground level, double-deck cars adapted to travel on said tracks, a plurality of stations of the single-platform type located along the track while at one level, and another station having double-deck platforms positioned adj acent the tracks at their other level.

7. In a system of the character described, in combination, a plurality of sets of tracks for accommodating traffic in different directions, each set adapted to accommodate traffic in opposite directions, double-deck cars adapted to travel on said tracks, singledeck stations adjacent each of said sets and coacting with the lower decks of the cars,

and a station common to both sets having superimposed platforms coacting with the double decks of the cars, said lastmentioned station being positioned at a different level with respect to the surface of the ground from said first-mentioned stations.

8. In a system of the character described, in combination, combined subway and elevated tracks for accommodating traffic in opposite directions, double-deck cars having communicating means between the decks adapted to travel on said tracks, elevated stations of the single-deck type coacting with the lower deck of the cars, and a subway station having superimposed platforms.

9. In a system of the character described, in combination, a set of tracks partially below ground and partially above ground, double-deck cars adapted to travel on said tracks, single-deck elevated stations adapted to coact with the lower deck of the cars, and double-deck subway stations adapted to coact with both decks of the cars.

10. In a system of the character described, in combination, a plurality of sets of elevated tracks portions of which are adapted to travel in a subway, each set comprising two tracks for accommodating traffic in opposite directions, ears having communicating double decks adapted to travel on said tracks, single-deck stations located adjacent the elevated portions of the tracks, and common subway stations having superimposed platforms adapted to coact with both decks of the cars.

11. In a system of the character described, in combination, a track passing through non-congested and congested sections, stations at said sections, means adapted to permit the entrance and exit of passengers at stations in both sections, and additional means adapted to permit entrance and exit of passengers at stations in the congested sections.

12. In a system of the cha 'actcr described, in combination, a track, a train adapted to travel thereon composed of a substantially equal number of single-deck motor cars and double-deck trailer cars, means connecting the decks of the double-deck trailer cars with each other, a series of single-deck platforms located along a portion of said track, and a station having double-deck platforms adapted to coact with the double decks of the trailer cars located along another portion of said track.

13. In a system of the character described, in combination, a pair of tracks adapted to accommodate traffic in an opposite direction, trains composed of single-deck motor cars and double-deck trailer cars adapted to travelon said t acks, comnmi'iieating means between the decks of the cars, stations having single platforms coacting with the lower deck of each car, and other stations having double deck platforms coacting with the double decks of the trailer cars.

14. In a system of the character described, in combination, a track passing through noncongested and congested sections, trains composed of single-deck motor cars and doubledeck trailer cars adapted to travel on said track, stations at said sections having platforms coacting with the lower decks of the cars, and additional means adapted to permit the entrance and exit of passengers at stations in the congested section.

15. In a system of the cha 'acter described, in combination, a track passing through noncongested and congested sections, trains having means for increasing their rate of loading and unloading without increasing the number of cars, stations in both sections having platforms coacting with said cars, and additional means coacting with said firstmentioned means adapted to permit the entrance and exit of passengers at stations in the congested section.

16. In a system of the character described, in combination, tracks adapted to accommodate t 'afhc in different directions, trains adapted to travel on said tracks and comprising a single and a double deck car, communicating means between the decks of the double deck car of said trains, stations having single platforms coacting with the lower deck of each car, and a station having clouble deck platforms coacting with the lower deck of all cars and the upper decks of the double deck cars.

17. In a system of the character described, in combination, tracks adapted to accommodate trafiic in different directions and passing through congested and non-congested sections, 'a train adapted to travel on said tracks having means for increasing its carrying capacity Without increasing the number of cars, stations in the non-congested sections having platforms coacting with said cars, and additional means in the congested sections adapted to coact with said first mentioned means to facilitate the loading and unloading of passengers.

18. A system of the character described, comprising, in combination, a track, a double deck car adapted to travel thereon, and a plurality of stations adjacent said track, a predetermined one of said stations being constructed for a proportion of passenger traffic different from another, the loading and unloading capacity of said predeter mined station being greater than said other. In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALPHONSUS L. DRUM. Witnesses:

E. A. TURPIN A. E. PEDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ilatents, Washington, D. C. 

